Drawings Biplane Gere Sport on 2040-parts.com

Mazda's rotary engine stalled, not forgotten

Development of the next-generation rotary engine from Mazda Motor Corp., first unveiled three years ago, is making slow progress despite missing emissions targets. A top Mazda powertrain executive said today that the 1.6-liter rotary engine, called the 16X, is about 30 percent more fuel-efficient than the current rotary engine used in the RX-8 sporty car. In fact, the 16X so far performs slightly better than Mazda's standard two-liter gasoline engine, said Mitsuo Hitomi, general manager of the Japanese carmaker's powertrain division.

Alfa Romeo 4C concept

Following the limited production run of the 8C super car, Alfa Romeo unveiled its new sports car at the Geneva motor show – the 4C. The compact, lightweight and mid-engined sports car is a departure from anything Alfa Romeo is producing at the moment. Taking influence from the 8C's strongest attributes, it also mixes in a new design language for the Italian brand.

Volkswagen Golf Sportsvan Concept previews 2014 Golf Plus

The Volkswagen Golf Sportsvan Concept (pictured) previews the 2014 Golf Plus VW are calling the Golf Sportsvan a concept, but it’s pretty much what we’ll see in the new VW Golf Plus when it arrives in mid-2014. Just like the other new Golfs, the Sportsvan uses the new MQB platform but grows in size. It’s 134mm longer than the Golf Plus and 83mm longer than the new Golf and has a wheelbase longer by 43mm to offer more space inside.